Nepal's major political forces seem to be heading towards extreme positions as they fail to read exact meaning of the royal statement. Upon his return to Kathmandu after completing his three-week-long tour of some Asian and African countries, King Gyanendra in his nationwide message spoke the language of reconciliation calling upon the political parties to participate in the forthcoming elections. However, major political parties responded it negatively. As the political parties are choosing the course of agitation, there is no one to read the underlying meaning in the royal message.
Unfortunately, when political parties were in the mood of reconciliation till a year ago, King was in the defying mood. Now King seems to be in a reconciliatory mood and parties have turned defiant. Politics is after all a process of compromise and negotiations but it is totally lacking now as both the forces, knowingly or unknowingly, are taking the course of confrontation. As long as political forces do not read each other's language and postures looking at the reality, Nepal's political instability will continue.
Without knowing what the common people are thinking, political forces are taking their own stand. It is unfortunate to see that political parties, including a liberal democratic party Nepali Congress, are opposing the elections on the ground that it will legitimize actions of the King's recent past. They are discarding the opportunity of elections to get elected and to assume the helms of powers just to prove that the King is wrong.
On the one hand, they have negative program to prove the King wrong and on the other, they have an opportunity to get into power and broaden the area of reconciliation with the King. Unfortunately, they are heading towards the negative program and preparing for an all round confrontation in alliance with any undesirable force. Whether the act of vandalism against Crown Prince Paras’s carcade or the attempt to attack CPN-UML’s office, both incidents are condemnable. It also shows how various vested interest groups are active to fuel confrontation among major political forces in the country.
The political course has taken a new turn as the earlier polarization between armed and unarmed forces has shifted between the followers of Constituent Assembly and those who believe in activation of the present constitution. Although Nepal's two big neighbors China and India are in the race to achieve high economic growth improving their infrastructures in Nepal's adjoining areas, Tibet in the north and Bihar and Utter Pradesh in the South, Nepal continues to be in political quagmire.
Persons of different shades have come forward with their own imaginary or idealistic ideas shaping the goal of Constituent Assembly. In the race of economic development, no body knows what will be the fate of such demand in the next ten years. For now, such idealistic debate is enough to prolong political instability and deadlock in the country. Polarisation will not benefit any body but all Nepalis will be loser in case of prolonged instability and confrontation.
Sooner someone takes statesmanly step to initiate the process of reconciliation the better. As political stability is necessary for high economic growth, only reconciliation and compromise can bring about much needed stability in the country. We hope good sense prevails on both the sides without further delay.
